COVID-19 has brought unprecedented challenges to non-essential businesses reopening across the country. With so many aspects of the global economy disrupted, the decisions you make in the next 90 days will define the future of your business. Leadership will need to think through the re-opening process and define how to operate their business over [...]
As businesses continue to adapt during COVID-19, part of your plan should include an ‘addendum’ to your employee handbook. Codifying business expectations for work and behavior during the pandemic will give employees direction and provide clarity. The information provided in the ‘addendum’ will also guide employee accountability. Topics for the addendum will depend on [...]
As the toll of COVID-19 continues to increase, liability issues regarding safety at work is a reality businesses must face. Employers must ask what their potential liabilities are if an employee contracts COVID-19 at work. Below we discuss potential liabilities and how to mitigate the risks. Workers' Compensation When an employee is injured at work, [...]
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted normal working conditions, including workplace attendance. Congress recognized this when it passed the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act (FFCRA) on March 19, 2020, which contained the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act and the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act. Employers who have continuing operations must comply with the FFCRA. [...]
COVID-19 has hit many businesses hard, necessitating the need to lay off employees. Laying off people is painful at the best of times, but during a global pandemic and economic crisis, the stakes are even higher. During this time of crisis, one thing is certain: layoffs should be achieved in a way that leaves people [...]
Employers throughout California are doing their best to handle the COVID-19 crisis. In complying with government orders, employers are asking or requiring employees to work remotely. However, many employers are not set up for telecommuting and this may spark lawsuits for non-compliance with California’s strict wage and hour laws. Anticipated wage and hour claims include: Not [...]
On February 13, 2020, the California Supreme Court ruled on the Frlekin v. Apple, Inc. case, setting a standard for California time and attendance laws. The court ruled that Apple must pay its employees for time spent having their bags searched before they left for the day. The court determined that “[employee] time spent on Apple’s premises [...]
Effective January 1, 2020, Assembly Bill 5 ("AB5") dictates which California workers must receive full employment benefits. This new law has shown to be a continuously hot topic, as battles over employee classification persist in court. On one side we have groups seeking to roll back the law. These include truck drivers, who argue that [...]
France’s highest appeals court has become the first to declare that a former Uber driver should be recognized as an employee rather than an independent worker. With similar cases ongoing in the U.S. and U.K., this case is part of a “global battle” and has set a precedent for how employees are regulated in the [...]
On Thursday, February 27, a motion to suspend the California Assembly Bill 5 (AB 5) was voted down by the State Assembly. How AB 5 affects Freelancers To recap, AB 5 codifies a landmark Supreme Court of California case, Dynamex Operations West, Inc. v. Superior Court of Los Angeles (2018), which restricts who can qualify [...]
